Sunday, October 24, 2010

I had a very quick meet up with friendly Manager Amber Dendy today as she was closing up shop and she allowed me to get these gorgeous photos of some of their colorful Fall merchandise. Wow! it was one of the quickest photo sessions I've EVER DONE--but I think I got some great photos to show y'all!

Love all the bright colors!

(above)*****Now thats a neat arrangement!

(above) Pretty Pansies enjoying a sunny day

I just love pansies. They look so delicate, but they endure cold temps so well!

(Below) Thats the bed of a pick up truck, well stocked with Autumn goodies

Friday, October 22, 2010

As a special treat today I am so thrilled to share this peice with you written by our local Avis Hutchinson. I just love her stories and I know y'all will too!

I am also hoping she has many more stories she will share with us in the future!

Fall, ‘03

Many years ago, during that time of year when the marsh grass made its seasonal color change from bright green to gold and fall slowly returned to the Lowcountry, I was often stirred from slumber by the sound of shotgun pellets falling on our roof. Our home sat on the edge of the marsh and my upstairs bedroom faced the water. Either the duck hunters in their boats didn’t know our house was occupied year-round or they didn’t realize how far their shells could reach. These early morning wake-up calls signaled the start of hunting season and in time I became accustomed to the strange sound over my head.

Pawleys’ marsh, with its saltwater creek, was host to thousands of ducks in the fall, making it one of the most popular local hunting sites. We are lucky now to see a handful of water-fowl and most of these are not of the bring-home-for-supper variety. I can’t help but wonder if the actual number of birds has diminished or if their flyways have changed due to development and loss of wetlands along the coast. For whatever reason, we are missing one of the things that made Pawleys popular from pre-rice planting days to the late 1960’s. Duck hunting was a favored past time for males (and a few females) ranging in age from 8-80, with grandfathers, fathers, and sons enjoying the sport together.

My brother spent many cold autumn mornings in his duck blind, waiting for the birds to come in close enough to shoot. It was no coincidence that rainy days produced the most successful hunt. The limited visibility forced the ducks to fly lower, as they sought to locate those areas where they could rest or feed from the waters for awhile.If one paid attention and went often enough he would eventually know, by the flight patterns, speed, and sounds they made as they chatted back and forth to each other, the type of duck within range. My brother knew and would quiz me with pictures and questions to make sure I knew them as well. That was the extent of my involvement. Getting up at 4:00 in the morning to sit in a boat or duck blind in the cold, and often wet, weather didn’t sound like my idea of fun. Maybe I’d just never been hungry enough or it could have been that my spirit of adventure leaned more toward more climate-friendly pursuits. In any case, I never pestered him about wanting to go along. If there were ever any qualms about him shooting the beautifully colored mallards, teals, or pintails, they quickly vanished as the aroma of roast duck permeated our home and our mother presented us with a meal that the memory of still causes my mouth to water, even though crunching down on an occasional piece of shot embedded in a thigh or breast was not unusual.

I suspected that the preliminary planning and anticipation of these hunting trips was as important as the hunt itself. His best friend would often join him on these early morning excursions and many hours were spent beforehand discussing time, tide, and the best location that would result in the most rewarding hunt. Agreeing to arrive at our house at an arranged time, his friend couldn’t always be sure, as he climbed the outside stairs, that my brother would be awake, or if he would have to stand on the cold wind-whipped porch, tapping on the window frame in hopes of being heard. More often than not, though, he was met at the door and they walked quietly down the long dock that led to the creek and our boat.Since I was not privy to their conversations on the water, whispered in the pre-dawn air, I could only speculate on the topics of their discussions. If the duck hunting was less than productive, they may have made plans to go marsh hen hunting later on in the day, as long as the tide was high enough to prevent those birds from hiding in the tall marsh grasses. That would have been one way of increasing their chances of bringing home some type of feathered game. Or maybe a successful squirrel or deer hunt occupied their thoughts, reinforcing the image in their families’ eyes of someone capable of putting meat on the table. On the other hand, they could have sat in complete silence, the type with which only two good friends who had spent many hours together would be comfortable.

More than likely, though, they recounted the numerous secret (they thought), not to mention productive, visits to a nearby fresh water pond that was secluded behind tall sand dunes and scrub forest in an area inaccessible to duck hunters (supposedly). Surrounding property was isolated from outsiders back then so it wasn’t difficult to wander unseen (they hoped) into forbidden territory, especially under the guise of camping on the beach. After a short trek over the dunes, following a trail made by wildlife which led to the pond, they “discovered” hundreds of unsuspecting waterfowl. I’m sure they felt safe enough, being as far off the beaten track as they were. Keeping one step ahead of the long arm of the law was tricky business and soon became a challenge that unfortunately, as time went on, made one cocky. Eventually, and of no surprise to any of us, one of those clandestine visits resulted in a trip to the local magistrate, a call to our father, a fine being paid (by my brother), and a stern reprimand given; a small price to pay (they thought) for the adventure and a feast ofwild duck.

When their time spent in the creek came to an end, usually after the sun had risen sufficiently, the number of game birds on the wing had dwindled, or their feet had frozen, they would return to our house and divide the ducks between themselves. Plucking and gutting the birds was the unquestioned end of a successful hunt. Our mother was always willing to cook whatever they brought home, as long as they offered it to her without feathers, fur, or scales. Settling down by the warmth of the fireplace hearth, they would prepare to clean their guns and talk about the pluses and minuses of the hunt, hoping to soon repeat the one while choosing to forget the other.

Now when those chilly northeast winds begin to blow across the salt marsh and cold rains beat down upon the water that has turned from green to gray, I think about duck hunting on PawleysIsland and a way of life we now relive only in our memories.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

With a day like today, I just dont see how the beautiful Fall days here in our Lowcountry could POSSIBLY GET ANY better, do you?

The warm days, crystal clear skies in that bright blue you remember from your childhood, the sun, and the breezes that have just enough of a cool nip to feel GOOD BUT NOT FREEZE YOU!

Todays adventures took us to Chucktown.

Some cute signs I spotted:

Pretty scenery:

Supper @ Bessinger's BBQ

1602 Savannah Highway

in West Ashley

(843) 556-1354

We just dropped in..............and it WAS late.........close to closing time!...........but ya know what?

We got service with a smile, and a great attitude, I might add!

Three thumbs up for old fashioned good customer SERVICE, a service/talent/skill sorely lacking in many eating establishments nowadays!

We had never been here before. Enjoyed the atmosphere and all the neat stuff hanging on the walls, especially the circa 1910 or so portrait up by the cash register, really awesome! Loved all the historic photos of the Battery and surrounding area.

The place was very clean, the food arrived in HUGE PORTIONS ( we got doggie bags as we simply could not finish) and everything tasted great.

The onion rings are so huge you only get one on your plate and that is quite enough! The BBQ had a real nice smokey flavor and the 'tater salad was great.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Y'all finished your summer reading by now? I had a big stack of summer reads and finally finished the last few. My favorite, by far, was this little memoir called "Summer at Tiffanys".Oh my gosh!---what a sweet little book! Reminds me so much of the innocent little teen novels I used to devour back in Jr. High and High school. (sadly, not too many books like that around any more) Of course, back then, teen novels revolved around high school, holding hands, class rings, the Homecoming sock hops, corsages, rumpus rooms, bobbie socks and pony tails, and 45 rpm records. Kids today dont have any kind of a world like that....

Anyway, it's just a charming little book set during the war-two Iowa teens travel to NYC and end up working as pages (the first female ones!) at Tiffanys. The book is about their dates, their adventures, their travels, and their jobs. Its a fast easy read and to me is nostalgia at its best.

While immeresed in the story I could almost see the young ladies in their proper hats and gloves, the elegant 1940s department stores, the excitement of V-J Day, their first visit to the Automat and meeting up with Judy Garland. I really hated for the book to end. Its a true story and the author wrote it about 60 years after they lived it!

There is also a link for the book in my sidebar. It will make a great Christmas present, and if you dont buy it, then at least get it at your library!

Todays Photos are from Atalaya, inside Huntington Beach State Park. What a neat place to investigate!

Check out all the neat old iron work--its painted this cool shade of greenish/blueish/mermaid color.

They give tours of the old summerhouse a few times a day I think, for a small fee. There is also a big (pretty much deserted this time of year) beach, as well as hiking and camping. Nice place! And alot of wildlife.We like to go watch the gators.

Cassandra King

Dot Frank

Mary Alice Monroe

*****

plantation camellias

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About Me and my front porch

Mom of three grown children, two grandchildren, joyously married, animal lover. I love old musicals and Judy Garland movies. I love Russian Blue cats, small town living, and long road trips.Small town Tennessee girl who ended up living her dream---living in the Lowcountry!!

Orrie and Madeline

True Love Forever

Madeline

WE GO!

...to Savannah

We Go!

"WE GO!"

girls just want to have fun!

..downtown!

...Into the Forest

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LETS END KILLER WHALE CAPTIVITY!!

Please research the captive killer orcas that the SEAWORLD franchise holds captive. It is animal cruelty at it's worst. Those killer whales need to be FREE, NOT HELD CAPTIVE BY us humans and forced to do 'tricks' for our amusement. (and to make SEAWORLD a lot of money. ) Please go watch BLACKFISH when y'all have time okay? also read "Killer at Seaworld". You will learn so much and I doubt if you ever pay entrance fees to enter SEAWORLD or any of it's affiliate parks again.........because you will learn what the money really goes for........PROFIT. Their profit...........the poor whales gain nothing. But life captivity. Sad lonely lives in bathtub size enclosures where they cant even interact with their own pods and offspring normally. Many of them are so sick and die very painful deaths.The 'breeding' program is a joke. They are not even allowed to procreate in a natural and normal manner. The whales that were caught in the wild were taken from their pods and their mothers in a very cruel and inhumane fashion---it is heartbreaking. It's awful sad. Please research and then let me know what you think, okay? Whales are magnificent creatures, I love them. I tell everybody it's okay to love them and to want to go see them......but please go to areas where you can view them in the wild either from the beaches or cliffs or from boats. Not from cement swimming pools where they are mis-treated, gawked at, and forced to 'perform'. God created them and intended for them to exist in the seas! They really need to remain free........................